Vehicle bumper cushioning device



Jan. l0, 1928.

A. WEILAND VEHICLE BUMPER CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Dec. 1l. 1926 Patented Jan. 10, 192.8.

UNITED STATES 1,655,777 PATENT OFFICE.

IFED VJEllllkl), OF NESHANC, NEWv JERSEY, ASSIGNOR- TO PNEUMATIC APPLI- ANCES CORPORATION, OF NEVI YORK. N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

VEHICLE BUMPER CUSHIONNG DEVCE.

Application filed December 11, 1926. Serial No. 154,167.

rat invention reiates to devices 'for The i A absorbing an d neutralizing shocks, and more vparticularly to an improvement upon the construction and operation olf shock absorbers ot Patents No. 1,579,185 and No. 1,579,- 188, granted to applicant March BO, 1926.

Sonie of the obiects of the present invention are to irnovide an improved shock absorbing or shock cushioning means tor use more particularly with vehicle bumpers; to provide a rubber or rubberized fabric body 'for association With-an impact bar `ot a vehicle bun'iper to reduce and minimize. received impacts; to provide a cushioning device wherein there is a relative proportioning of resistance to applied torce ot impact; to provide a cushioning device .to supplement the action ot a vehicle bumper wherein a. yielding shock absorbing action takes place under direct impact While end thrusts or nnpacts acting to cause relative side to side movement o' the cushioning device will be positively resisted; to provide a cushioning element having provision for receiving and supporting parts ot a. vehicle bumper, to provide a cushioning element having provision iter receiving and supporting parts to which the element is attached; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, 151 1 represents an end elevation otI one form et buniiier cushion embodying the present invention; 2 represents a section on imc 2-2 ot' Fig. l; and Fig. Brepresents a section on liuc -S oil Fig. 1.

Referring to the rhawings, one torni of the present invention consists ot rubber or rubberized fabric or any other resi ient material molded as a hollow body 10 ot' gcnerally elliptical section, as seen in Fig. Preferably the upper and lower outwardly converging Walls of the body 10 are corrugated or concentrically tinted, as shovin 1l. In this connection it should be noted that the apex area 12 of the body 10 is cir- Acmuterentially of increased thickness with respect to the Wall area, and this provides a medial resistancewhich causes the ri'alis 11 to work, under applied shocks, with a breathing action to gradually dampen such shocks.

For strengthening the body 10 along vits impact receiving portion, it is formed vritli a relatively thick tace u'all 123 having projecting shoulders lei which provide a transverse groove 15 arranged to scat an impact bar of the vehicle bumper ot which the cushioning body 1l) torus a part. Likewise the opposite or 'rear p-:irtion oil the body 10 is formed as a reiatively thick face wall 1G which is preferably provided with stepped shoulders 1T and 1S to i'orm respectively transverse grooves 2O and 21 to accommodate parts ol the bumper structure.

In order to reinforce the tace walls 153 and 1G and also to provide a means to resist movement of the bumper impact under end thrust, the tace Wall 13 is molded about a metal insert 22 which conforms generally 'to the contour ot the face Wall 13 and has an axially disposed tongue projecting well into the central portion ot the .inner chamber 2st of the body 10. This tongue 225 is also enveloped in the material ot' the body 10 and thus has a cushion contact with a biturcatcd with an insert 26 molded into the face 1G. incidental to the molding ot the insert is the molding in also ot a plurality of bolts 27 which pass through the insert 2G with their heads 28 Hush against the inner sides thereot whiie their threaded shanks protrude irom the rear tace 16 for mounting the body as will be understood. The insert 22 is axially bored to form a tapped hole 3() for the reception ot a suitable fastening bolt by which the impact bar of the bumper or any other partis attached.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a complete unitary cushioning device has bee devised, which nhile more particularly useiul in conjunction 'with vehicle bumpers of generai application as a shock absorbing, or shock resisting, or shock minimizing unit. Preferably the body l0 is molded as hollo f' and with a compressible medium such as air sealed therein, since this gives the body a desirable inner reinforcement to increase the dampening eit'ect of the device as a Whole. It should also be noted that the attaching walls of the device are molded to provide transverse grooves for seating certain cooperating parts such as a bumper impact bar and supporting arms from the vehicle frame. These grooved walls are not only iully reinforced and strengthened by internally molded metal inserts but these inserts have an inter `tl1ing sliding relation so designed as to permit full cushioning etfect for direct impacts but resisting and extension 25 formed integral.

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vor the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention7 l claim 1. A shock absorber comprising a body et resilient material having an impact receiving face 1r vided With a. transverse groove lto seat an impact member, a metal insert molded into said iace tor reinforcement and means for attaching the opposite face of said body to a vehicle 'frame or other part.

'2. A shock absorber comprising a'body et resilient material having an impact receiving tace and an attaching tace, said attaching face being formed ivith a transverse .groove to seat a supporting part`r a metal insert molded in said attaching tace, and lmeans cooperating with said insert for securing said attaching tace to a vehicle trame or other part with said supporting part held in said groove.

3. A shock absorber comprising a. body of resilient material having an impact receiving face and an 'attaching tace, said attach` ing tace being formed with tivo transverse grooves to respectively seat supporting parts, a. metal insert molded into said attaching face, and means cooperating` with said insert for securing` said attaching face to a vehicle trame or other part with said supporting parts held in said grooves.

A shock absorber comprising a body ot resilient material havingpg/` an impact receiving .tace provided with a transverse groove to seat an impact member and an attaching tace provided'with a transverse groove to seat a supporting part, a, metal insert molded into said impact face, a metal insert molded into said attaching face, and means coopenting with said attaching face insert tor securing said attaching` tace to, a vehicle frame Aor other part with said supporting part- `held in-said attaching face groove.

5. A shock absorber comprising a body of resilient material having an impact receiving .tace provided with a transverse groove to seat an impact member and an attaching tace provided with a. transverse groove to seat a supporting part, a metal insert molded into said impact face, a metal insert molded into said attaching tace, means cooperating with said attaching tace insert for securing` said attaching tace to a vehicle 'frame or other part `with said supporting Lpart held in said attaching i'ace groove, and interiitting means bet-"veen said inserts to resist relative mov-ement between said inserts in predetermined direction.

6. A shock absorber comprising a body of resilient material of substantially elliptical form in cross section and having its opposite Walls enteriorly stepped in concentric relation, an impact. receiving tace formed at one side of said body7 an attaching tace termed at the opposite side ot said body, metal inserts respectively molded into said faces, and interiitting sliding connections between said inserts. i

i". A sho-3l; absorber comprisinO` a body ot resi ,nt material having an impact receiving 'tace provided with a transverse groove and a bolt hole, a nietalinsert molded linto said tace having a tapped hole aligned with said bolt hole7 and means for attaching the opposite tace ot said body -to a vehicle frame or other part. y

8. A shock absorber comprising a hollonv body of resilient material having an impact receiving tace provided With a transverse groove and a bolt hole, a metal insert molded into said face having a tapped hole aligned with said bolt hole, and means for attaching the opposite aceot said bod Y to a vehicle trame or other part.

9. A shock absorber comprising a hollow body of resilient material having an impact receiving tace and an attaching face, said attaching .tace being formed with livio trans versel griiioves to respectively seat supporting parts, a metal insert molded into said attachn ing tace7 and means cooperating with said .insert for securing said attaching tace lo a vehicle iframe or other part with said snpporting parts held in said grooves.

' tvigncd at ldiiladelphia, county ot' Philadclphia7 State ot' Pennsylvania., this 10th day ot December7 1926.

ALFRED ViflllLAND.

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